The Aftermath of Explosions
by InspiredByWords
Summary: A sequel to my first fanfic 'Explosions'.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, which is a shame.

The Aftermath of Explosions

**A/N: Well I have a snow day today because we've had a few more inches of snow overnight so I've decided to write a little sequel to my previous story 'Explosions'. If you haven't read that, read that before this I guess but it's not 100% necessary because I will try to make the story understandable without knowing what happened in 'Explosions'. Hope it is okay for you all, and I will try and make the chapters a little longer!**

Hermione was sitting at the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall and it was early morning. There wasn't that many students in yet but she was expecting Harry and Ron to be joining her any minute, or at least they said that they would follow her down soon. She looked up at the High Table to see him sitting there, surveying the Hall and the students within. He always seemed to keep a close eye on the Slytherin Table at meal times, well all the time actually. He was much more protective over his Slytherins than the other Heads were over their own Houses. Hermione knew first hand what it was like to be at the receiving end of his protectiveness, and had experienced it rather a few times when Ron Weasley had tried to make advances on her, stating that they were _meant for each other, _and that no time was better than the present. This enraged Severus, how could the boy be so oblivious? Clearly Hermione did not like him in that way, especially after the incident with that Brown girl. Hermione was far too good to be with someone like Ronald.

Soon, the Hall was full of chattering students who were getting ready for the day ahead of them by filling their mouths with the wondrous food which the house elves prepared – and never failed in producing an amazing banquet. Even with the Hall full, and all of the students at their table Severus never failed to find _her, _you couldn't miss her. She looked so happy surrounded by her friends, throwing her head back in laughter at some sort of joke Potter had told. Suddenly, she turned to gaze around the Hall, trying to find the owner of the eyes which were boring down on her and as she reached the High Table she found him. Her eyes met his, and he saw a twinkle in her eyes. He tried his best to return the smile through his eyes (because students would surely be creeped out if they saw the greasy git smiling liked a lunatic into space) but he wasn't sure if he had managed properly. She returned to the conversation with her friends after giving him a reassuring smile. He had her for Potions last thing today, so he would try and speak to her.

Hermione managed to get through the day with little bother but she was inundated with assignments. Though she knew that she would get through them reasonably quickly, she knew that Ron and Harry would pester her for 'help' on theirs meaning she would have to waste more of her time to assist them. She often wondered how they got through exams!

Last lesson was Potions, she would get to see him and at least be reasonably close to him. She enjoyed time away from lessons with him in his quarters or wandering the grounds after curfew with him (she was able to do this since she held the Head Girl position at Hogwarts) but also enjoyed being in Potions with him because he always kept a close eye on her work, giving her criticism for her work. People may think he was harsh on her, but he knew that she wanted to become a Potions Mistress after graduation so he wanted to push her. She was _more _than capable of doing it in half the time required to train as a Potions Mistress and he was happy to be the one who pushed her to reach her goals.

As she headed down into the dungeons with Harry and Ron flanking her, she was wondering what this lesson would have in store for her. She knew that Potions has had its shocks in the past (not saying they were _bad_ shocks, but they were still shocks to her) and was sure that before she graduated Hogwarts there would be plenty in store for her. Walking through the door into the Potions classroom, she realised that they were the first to arrive so they took their seats silently, not wanting to disturb the Professor who was sitting up at his desk grading some papers. The funny thing was, though, that he was not actually grading. Merely pretending, and he would steal glances at the beautiful girl that was Hermione. If it was not for those two dunderhead boys she called friends, he would have gone up to her and kissed her senseless. But that would be saved for another time. For now, he had to teach. Fill their minds with the knowledge needed to get them through N.E. and, in Hermione's case, through their future career. She was sitting there at her desk with her books out on the desk, looking up at him expectantly. He had not realised, as he sat there returning her stare from under the veil of dark hair falling around his face, that the classroom had filled up and in actual fact, Hermione was not the only one looking up at him expectantly...

He cleared his throat, and stood up, striding over to the chalkboard where the instructions for the potion they were to brew this lesson appeared on the board. Hermione was the first to get started, making sure she had written down all of the instructions firstly, and she busied herself collected the necessary ingredients from the store cupboard. As she returned and continued in her concentration, he went back to his desk and seating himself, watching each and every one of his students carefully. Even though the last explosion in this classroom had brought him closer to the young girl Hermione, he did not want any other accidents. He was surprised at how well Longbottom was coping in Advanced Level Potions, but this is probably only because the little know-it-all was managing to whisper help into his ear. He pretended not to notice, but finally got so sick and tired of it. If Neville wanted to learn, he had to do it alone.

He stood from his chair, it's legs scraping across the stone floor and he strode over to the shared desk of Hermione and Longbottom. He did not utter a word, he just stood and watched over them (well mainly the girl, she took such care over her ingredients and had such precision whereas it seemed Longbottom was just plopping in ingredients left right and centre). He saw Hermione lean over towards the dunderhead, and he intervened. "Miss Granger, no assisting others with their brewing. Do you understand? Ten points from Gryffindor and a detention tonight at 8pm. Do _not _be late." Hermione looked at him, shocked that he would dare give her a detention, but he gave her a look that said 'I can't give you special treatment, regardless of what happens between us. Sorry' and so she took his apology, continuing with her work. It was not long before Hermione had completed her potion to perfect standard, and approached his desk with the vial in her hand for marking. She placed it on his desk, but strangely she also left a _note. _She then proceeded back to her desk and cleared away used ingredients and cleaned her cauldron. He tried to catch her eyes, and when he did, he raised his eyebrow at her. She just smirked back at him. Severus opened up the note she had placed on his desk as inconspicuously as possible, revealing a short message to him in her neat, slanted lettering.

_Severus,_

_I guess I will see you tonight then. I look forward to it. _

_Yours,_

_Hermione x_

He couldn't believe she had given him a note just to say this, though why on earth she was looking _forward _to a detention he could not tell. He hoped that she didn't think she would get special treatment...and at that, he sat pondering a suitable 'punishment' for the girl. He was also flabbergasted with how she had signed her note, not just because of the 'Yours' (he already knew that she was his, and nothing would change that) but the kiss after her name. What did it mean? He decided not to worry about it, not that he was too bothered anyway it was just that she hadn't done that before.

It was before dinner and Hermione was sitting in her room reading when she heard a faint _tap-tap_ coming from her window. She looked out to see an owl sitting on the ledge looking rather peeved at not being let in straight away. She went and opened the window, retrieving the rolled up parchment from the owl and letting it fly off after giving it a small owl treat. It had practically pinched it out her hand, taking a finger with it too but she had quick responses, luckily. She sat back at her desk, and unravelled the parchment. It was not signed, but she knew precisely who it was from.

_Hermione,_

_I shall see you tonight, please wrap up as it is, after all , nearing winter._

_Take care._

She smiled, wondering whether or not she would follow his instructions. If she did not take her robes, then maybe she would be able to go to his quarters and warm up with him there. She did not worry too much about it, making a final decision and rushing down to dinner...robeless.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this first chapter and that the length was satisfactory. Snow days are great, aren't they? ;D Also, I'm not sure I chose the best title so if anybody has any better ideas PLEASE let me know! ********Remember to review, I appreciate them so much and love to have feedback on my writing and want to know how I can improve to please you all and I'd like to know what you all think of my story and where you think I should take it in the following chapters...**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine, never was and never will be.

The Aftermath of Explosions

**A/N: Trying to get a few chapters out of the way since I'm off school because of the snow. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, and will enjoy this one just as much.**

At dinner that evening, Hermione felt very nervous. It was only a detention, she kept telling herself there was nothing to worry about. Even though she knew it was with him, the man who cared for her deeply, it was still a detention and she worried about what it would do to her reputation. "Oh, Hermione snap out of it. It's one detention, at least he didn't give you multiple detentions like he would have done if it was me or Ron, and you'll earn those points back quickly enough anyway." said Harry, trying to put her mind at rest.

"I know, you're right Harry. Thanks, I better get going anyway. I don't want to be late..." she replied, looking up at the High Table to realise that Severus had already left. He hadn't even looked at her that evening, no matter how hard she tried to catch his eye. She might as well have stood on the Gryffindor Table naked proclaiming her love for him in front of the whole school, and he wouldn't have looked at her. She hadn't done anything wrong, she was sure of it.

She headed down to the dungeons, and after one step down the stairs, she immediately regretted her decision. She wouldn't have time to run back to her rooms to get a robe now though, otherwise she really would be late and she didn't particularly want to spend any more time than necessary down in the dungeons during winter. She knew she was early, she didn't need to leave the Great Hall at the time she did but she was so worried. Oh well. She raised her hand to knock but as she did, the door flung open to reveal her professor standing on the other side of the door. "Did I not specifically say 8 o'clock?"

"Well, yes sir, but you said not to be late. By my watch, I am _definitely_ not late," she replied, amazed at her boldness. He stared at her, taking in the beauty before him before stepping aside to let her into the classroom.

"Okay, Miss Granger, you will be organising the store cupboard tonight. If you have any problems, do not hesitate to solve them yourself with that magnificent brain of yours," he said, the words rolling off his tongue. Had he just complimented her? Yes, in his strange Snape way.

Hermione headed into the store cupboard and let out a quick gasp, it was even colder in here! Probably something to do with all of the ingredients needing to be kept at a specific temperature to preserve them for as long as possible, but this was absurd. He was making her work in her in this temperature? What the fuck. "Something the matter, Miss Granger?" the professor enquired, smirking. She had tried to be brazen tonight by not bringing her robes, even though he had specifically told her to wrap up. It was in her best interest that he told her this, though she did look brilliant in her faded jeans and red jumper.

"Er...no professor," she muttered out in reply, imagining the smirk that was most likely plastered on his face right at that second. She started to get to work, arranging the appropriate bottles and vials in alphabetical order. It stunned her how much was out of place, and immediately wondered whether he had purposefully messed them all up so that she would have more work to do. He was a funny man, _HA HA. _This detention would be the death of her, it was ice cold in here!

About an hour of the detention had passed and the professor could stand it no longer. She would be an ice statue soon enough, so quietly he got up from his desk and walked over to the store cupboard, leaning on the door frame and he watched her work. She took steadied breaths, and these were visible. It wasn't even December yet, and he knew he was being harsh on her so he went to stand behind her, take off his own robe and wrap it round her but before he could do this, she had detected the warm radiating from him and was edging slowly into him. Soon, he was just standing there with her, his robe almost covering her even though he was still wearing it. He was unsure of what he should do now, but Hermione could sense this was not a situation Severus found himself in often so her small hand grabbed his and wrapped it across her stomach. He rested his hand there for what seemed like forever, before he allowed his other hand to join and he pulled Hermione into him. "Is that what you...imagined by not having your robes with you, Hermione?" he whispered into her ear. She gasped, he was so close and she loved it. The second he realised the effect he was having on her, he began to use it to his advantage – nibbling her ear, whispering her name into her ear, kissing her neck and along to her collar bone. Eventually, she could take no more and turned her body to be pressed against his and took his mouth in a passionate, fiery kiss. "This is...not appropriate for...my store cupboard..." he said in between kisses.

"Well then where _is _it appropriate..._sir_?" Hermione said, hoping he would take her into her quarters. It would be much warmer in there, from his fire and his own body warmth. He did not reply to her, just grabbed her hand in his and led her to a blank wall. When he did not do anything else, she said, "Severus, as much as I would like to have you kissing me against this wall...I am freezing!" at this, he raised an eyebrow and she grinned cheekily back at him. He muttered something under his breath which she could not make out, and suddenly the wall rotated and a hallway appeared in front of them. Hermione stood there with her mouth wide open, he actually was taking her to his quarters.

"Well come on then _darling _however much I want to kiss you against the wall, I want to warm up. Just because I spend so much time in the dungeons doesn't mean I am not human and like warmth." he said with a smile playing on his lips. It made him look so much younger.

He led her into his quarters.

She stood there in the entrance to his private quarters, and was astounded. Yes, she had been here before but she wasn't exactly in a normal state of mind at that time. It was beautiful. Filled with dark mahogany furniture and one whole wall was dedicated to a bookcase. She felt an urge to go over to it and run her fingers across the spines. She was fascinated. She had known his quarters would be nice, but nice was definitely an understatement now she was here. There were several doors leading off from the main living area, and Hermione really wanted to explore but instead turned to Severus who had taken off his robes and was just standing there with a white button down Oxford shirt and black trousers on. He looked breathtaking, and his figure was lean and defined. She knew something magnificent was hidden under those robes.

He walked up to her and said, "Well aren't you going to make yourself comfortable, my little know-it-all?" as he gestured to the sofa which faced towards the fire. Hermione began to blush, realising she must've been standing there like a lemon. How embarrassing. She scurried over to the sofa and sat there stiffly, and he walked through one of the adjoining doors. She tried to peer after him, to catch a glimpse of the other rooms which were here but guessed that would have to wait for another time. She heard him call through to her, "Do you like hot chocolate, Hermione?" It took her a while to reply 'Yes' as she found it quite amusing that Severus Snape, the Potions Master had hot chocolate in his kitchen (she presumed he was making it himself and not relying on the house elves), let alone make her some. She began to roam around the room, picking out a book off his shelf and settling back down with it. She adopted her favourite position with her knees tucked under her body. When Severus came back through with the hot chocolate, he was stunned. The girl looked so comfortable in his quarters, and for once wasn't fast asleep with injuries. She was so engrossed in a book she had obviously taken from his shelf, she didn't notice his entrance and hardly even glanced up from the book when he sat down next to her on the sofa. It was not until he said, "Now then, Hermione, I know my books here may be fascinating, but I would hope I was just as fascinating to you" with a childish grin on his face. For some reason she made him so happy, more than half of the student population would run a mile if they saw him smiling!

She looked up from the book, "Sorry Severus, but your books are fascinating. As are you," she said, leaning over to give him and kiss on the cheek, but he moved his face so that her lips met his. A long kissing session followed, leaving them both flustered and feeling like giddy teenagers (which was acceptable for Hermione, because that's what she was). They then drank the hot chocolate which Severus had prepared earlier on, after applying a warming charm since they had gone cold while he and Hermione had been...well...preoccupied. During their drinks, they would pause to have discussions about anything and everything that popped into their heads. It was finally nice for both of them to have an intellectual peer. Hermione would get frustrated at Ron and Harry for their lack of concentration or interest in the things she enjoyed talking about, and Severus just...didn't talk much with his colleagues unless it was a necessity.

They had spent hours talking away and were sharing a comfortable silence when Hermione suddenly drifted off to sleep, her head landed on Severus' shoulder. At first he was startled, but began to absentmindedly stroke the girls hair and face in a soothing manner. He knew he should wake her and escort her back to her rooms but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She looked so peaceful and _at home. _Instead, he carefully lifted her into his arms (at which point she wrapped her arms around his neck, half asleep). As he reached his chambers, he debated what to do next. He placed her under the covers and tucked her in. Then, he was torn between staying with the girl and just watching her sleep or going to settle down for an uncomfortable nights sleep on the sofa (though he could transfigure it into a bit if he so wished...) He chose the former, but her steady breathing lulled him into a sleep, and soon they were snuggled up together like any other couple would be. Except they weren't like other couples. It was Severus Snape and Hermione Granger, for god's sake.

**A/N: Hope this was good for you all! I don't think my school is off tomorrow, though I'm still hoping and praying! ********Remember to review, I appreciate them so much and love to have feedback on my writing and want to know how I can improve to please you all and I'd like to know what you all think of my story and where you think I should take it in the following chapters...**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Surely you know this isn't mine by now.

The Aftermath of Explosions – Chapter 3

**A/N: Thought I'd get up another chapter now while I have the time to write one! **

Hermione groaned as she stretched in the rather large bed, then sat up abruptly realising this was NOT her bed and these were NOT her chambers. The memories of last night quickly came flooding back, they hadn't...done anything had they? She looked down at the sleeping form that was her professor, and when he slept he looked so peaceful and free of worry. The lines on his face eased and were not as harsh. She had an urge to stroke his face, to snuggle up to him and make the world disappear. She looked around the room, trying to find anything that would give an idea of the time, but there was nothing. She didn't bother to get up and have a better look, but instead stayed in the safety and warmth of the bed, whether it was the covers or the warmth radiating from her professor she didn't know and quite frankly, didn't care. After a few minutes she began to doze back to sleep, so it must've been the early hours of Saturday that she had woken up.

Hermione felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her stomach and pull her back towards him into the centre of the bed, and she did not resist but instead responding to this by trying to get her body as close to his as possible. He let out a groan in response, and Hermione smirked slightly, to know she could do this to him. He began to nuzzle her, and place light kisses along her neck and down to her collarbone. She turned her body to face him, and he had a huge smile on his face. _God, how sexy does he look? s_he thought to herself and gave him a kiss on the lips, Severus deepened it and his hands roamed all over her body. They didn't get to do this last night, so he was making up for it. She had a perfect body, gorgeous skin, amazing eyes and a smile that could light up any room – even ones with Death Eaters in... "Good morning Hermione, I trust you slept well," he said, his voice was like silk and it filled Hermione with a very strange, but nice, feeling.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact I did as _somebody _kept me nice and warm," she replied, with a cheeky smile gracing her lips. He chuckled deeply, his baritone laugh echoing off the dungeon walls sending shivers down Hermione's spine.

"Nice to know I serve a purpose, my little know-it-all," he whispered into her ear, nibbling on it slightly. Hermione squirmed in pleasure and planted a kiss on his lips before slipping out of bed. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked, with a raised eyebrow, while pushing himself into a sitting position on the bed following her movements.

"To explore..." she replied, almost teasingly. She walked around the bedroom barefoot, trailing her hands across any surface she could reach. _If only the surface was my body,_ he thought. He was disgusted at how he thought, but could not refrain. He was only being human (and this in itself would shock many students at the school).

He watched her from the bed as she 'explored' but soon she left the bedroom for the living area, so he got out of bed and went to lean on the door frame as he watched her with an eyebrow raised. She seemed fascinated by it all, even though it was no different to last night. He did hope their relationship would develop and continue after her graduation, so she should be able to spend a lot more time in his quarters. He felt like a different man when he was with her, he felt younger and he felt emotion. He was so used to hiding all emotion and keeping it away from the searching mind of the Dark Lord, but Hermione made him a liability. He knew if he slipped up, the Dark Lord would be curious as to why he was with her. He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, he would deal with that if the time ever came and turned to watch the Gryffindor Princess again as she walked gracefully around his Slytherin lair. _How ironic, _he thought to himself.

He decided he would just leave her to it, and so decided he would go and prepare some breakfast. He much preferred to cook for himself when he could instead of always having to rely on the house elves and since staff were only officially required to eat in the Great Hall at dinner, he would take as much opportunity as possible to spend the day with his little know-it-all.

He often referred to her as his little know-it-all, and although in lessons everyone was under the impression it was an insult, both of them knew that he used it as a term of endearment and none of the dunderheads would ever realise the meaning behind it. Severus was always astounded by her text-book answers, even on the first day of every term she had the correct answers as if she had a visible text book in front of her and was reading from the page. It amazed him and he wished he could shower her with praise and House points, but his Slytherins (well everybody, actually) would get very suspicious and wonder what had happened to their big, bad bat of the dungeons. He regretted giving her detention the previous day, because he knew she would have spent the rest of the evening over-analysing her actions and looking for hidden meanings behind his punishment, except that in all honesty that detention had not really turned out to be much of a punishment...

As he was left to his own thoughts while making breakfast, Hermione took the time to shower. Initially, she felt rude for using his bathroom without permission but he had left her to explore after all, and if she decided she needed to shower then so be it. She did not spend long in the shower, worrying in case he thought she had left him after realising what a mistake she was making.

Hermione came to rest her body against the door frame into his kitchen and watched him preparing. It looked like he was making a simple fry-up. She was surprised that he cooked. It seemed they kept coming. Last night she discovered that he had cocoa powder in his kitchen and made hot chocolate, and now she knew that he cooked. He was becoming more and more fascinating, and more and more complex.

Once he had finished and had plated up he turned to see her standing there by the door. Her hair was slightly damp and frizzy, and she had a look of admiration in her eyes. He was overcome with some sort of emotion, compassion? He did not know, but turned his mind to the food on the plates and followed her through onto the sofa. They ate in comfortable silence, both stealing secret glances at the other when they thought they weren't being watched. Severus smirked slightly whenever he saw her try and look without being discovered, it was sweet but also upset him that she thought she was not allowed to look at him without permission. So, at that, he spoke up after swallowing a piece of sausage. "You know Miss Granger, you can look at me freely. I do not mind in the slightest, considering I have been looking at you." Her cheeks began to flush and her eyes began to roam across his face and body. He couldn't decide whether it was good signs that she was showing or not, did she like what was here in front of her? He decided to allow his eyes to roam over her body too, _god how gorgeous does she look,_ thought Severus. She seemed to squirm under his gaze, as well as his touch.

It was midday and they had both had a very enjoyable morning together, talking about everything and anything. They discussed articles from Potions Monthly (he was, at first, surprised that she had a subscription to this but then reminded himself that she was an academic like himself and craved knowledge even if it was not required). During their discussions, they both began to learn more and more about each other. Unravelling little things that neither would have known if they had not been in this situation.

Hermione was lying with her head in his lap and he was stroking the hair from her face whenever it fell into her face when suddenly, the Headmaster's face appeared in the fireplace.

_Shit._

**A/N: So it's a little shorter than the others, and I decided to add a...twist so it didn't get boring! I hope this is okay with you all, and I'll probably get another chapter (or two!) out tomorrow because the weather here is terrible and my mum won't let me go to school! ****Remember to review, I appreciate them so much and love to have feedback on my writing and want to know how I can improve to please you all and I'd like to know what you all think of my story and where you think I should take it in the following chapters...**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Surely you know this isn't mine by now.

The Aftermath of Explosions – Chapter 4

**A/N: Babysitting tonight so have plenty of time to myself for writing, I hope this is up to standards and you don't mind that I threw in a little twist. I'm sure good old Sevvy will put the headmaster in his righteous place with regards to his little know-it-all ;)**

Hermione scrambled up from the previous position, and was becoming very flustered. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! _The Headmaster, none other than Albus Dumbledore, had seen her and Severus acting as lovers...she just wanted a big black hole to come and swallow her up. She normally wouldn't have been bothered if the Headmaster had seen her in a relationship with someone, but the fact that it was Severus, his spy, made matters a lot worse. And the fact that she was still a student! So many things were whizzing round her mind, yet as she looked up to Severus he did not seem to be phased at all – as if he had expected this to happen. _What the hell? s_he thought to herself, she can't believe that something like that has just happened and he was carrying on as normal.

He was, in actual fact, extremely worried as to what he would have to face when he entered the Headmaster's Office. He did not want to lose the girl, not when he had just found her! He would not forget the look on the Headmaster's face as he had appeared in the fireplace, but at the same time his love for the girl that was in his lap would not end just because some meddling old man was not impressed.

"Severus, you better go and speak to him. His eyes were nearly coming out of the sockets when he saw us!" she practically screamed at him, and realised she was shaking too whether this was from the reality of the whole thing or fear that she wouldn't be able to be with him any more.

When the professor spoke, his voice immediately soothed her and his velvety voice enveloped her senses, his lips brushed against hers as he spoke, "Shhh, little one, it will all be okay. I will make sure it is all okay Trust me."

Hermione could not muster a verbal response, but just nodded they shared a brief kiss before he departed. She snuggled up onto the sofa, ready to wait for his return and watched as he stepped into the fireplace with a handful of floo powder, "The Headmaster's Office!" and in a burst of green flames, he was gone. She could only sit and wait.

Severus strode into the Headmaster's Office and was greeted with the same question he was also greeted with when he went to see Albus, "Lemon drop, my son?"

"When in all of my lifetime have I ever accepted a lemon drop from you, Headmaster?" he replied, wanting to get to the point of his visit so he could leave to reassure Hermione (considering she had not fled from his quarters in fear...)

"Severus, I believe the original reasoning behind me calling you here will be overshadowed for the meanwhile, and I would like to know why Miss Granger was...looking so comfortable with her head on your lap? I do not doubt your judgement or decisions, but I am somewhat at a loss. The Head of Slytherin choosing the Gryffindor Princess to be his?"

"Headmaster, in all honesty, I did not _choose _her. I don't know why, but I've never felt this way for anyone..." Severus was about to continue but the Headmaster interrupted with a slightly worried look in his eyes.

"Not even for Lily?" he inquired.

"No, not even Lily. It does not even come close," he replied, matter-of-factly. He had not said this aloud but he knew, deep down, that what he had with Lily would never match what he now felt for Hermione.

"Ah, I see. Well, may I ask _how_ it has come to this?"

"I do not know how to answer your questions, Headmaster. They just did. She seems to be my equal, and we are being careful. Honestly, I do not want my pupils finding out that the greasy git has a heart behind all the robes," he smirked at his last remark, but Dumbledore grimaced slightly. He did not like it when one of his most able staff members was slated so much from the student body.

"I see, my dear boy. Well, as long as you are safe in regards to this...relationship with Miss Granger I can not hold either of you back. She is, of course, of age and I know she has a good head on her. Treat her well, my boy. I would not like to see either of you hurt." he had a look of sincerity in his eye as he said these words. Severus was shocked with the Headmaster's quick acceptance of his _relationship _with Hermione, he had been prepared to face a grilling but he did not get a grilling, a mere warning and a slight questioning, but nothing more than that. In some respects, he had been congratulated for finding love with the young girl.

"Do not worry, Albus, my intentions are certainly not to harm her. I will be careful," and with that, the Potions Master turned to leave the Headmaster's Office via the floo once again. As he was standing in the fireplace with the floo dust in his hand once again, he was sure that he had seen a slight twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes. _God damn him and his meddling ways. _

He was greeted by something he did not expect to see upon entering his quarters. Hermione was curled up in a ball on his sofa with tear stained face, and it looked as though she had cried herself to sleep. _Oh my dear girl, _he thought, his heart aching at the sight of her upset.

He made his way over to her silently, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl, she looked so peaceful and free of worry even. He shed his outer robes and placed them over her body, trying his best to keep the cold of the dungeon from manifesting itself in her body and he knelt down so that his face was close to hers, and whispered into her ear. "I told you it would all be okay, sweet dreams my princess," he said softly, amazed at what he was like around her and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead before picking her up in his arms and carrying her back to his chambers. He tucked her into the bed, same as he had done the night before. As he lay her down, she murmured his name in her sleep and this filled his heart with joy to know her dreams were filled with images of him. He sat on his side of the bed, _god she has her own side already, _and, once again, was unsure of what to do.

He paced in his office for what seemed like an age, before heading to take a shower and clear his thoughts. As soon as the water started running along his body, his muscles started to relax and he felt able to sift through his thoughts and organise his head. He always slept well after a good shower.

Severus emerged from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He had become accustomed to the cold of the dungeons after many years below the castle. He walked into his bedroom, not expecting the girl to be wide awake reading one of his books, to say he was shocked was an understatement. He thought she was drained, so had settled her into bed so she would sleep the night.

Her hair was falling across her body (she had actually gotten changed into some of his pyjamas!) and she looked truly gorgeous. He let a chuckle reverberate on the dungeon walls, and she looked up, and her facial expression was very comical – it was just like the one that Albus had donned not so long ago at the sight of them together. "Like what you see?" he said teasingly, leaning against the door frame watching the girl with a raised eyebrow. Her cheeks were crimson and it seemed she could not draw her eyes from his body long enough to make eye contact.

"Um, y-yes," she stuttered. _Gods, how could he have been hiding that body for so long?_ she thought, while allowing herself to gaze back at his body. It was evident that he had just had a shower, and his pale skin glistening, even in the dim light of the dungeons.

He approached her slowly with a smile on his face, and he did not break eye contact with her as he leant down to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. He broke off, and let himself get settled into the bed before leaning back over to her and kissing her again. She moaned at his touch, _how can he do this to me?_

They spent the good part of half an hour just kissing each other and exploring each other's bodies with their hands. Neither wanted to pass the boundary they had subconsciously set up between themselves, but their nerves were on fire at the slightest bit of physical contact they shared. Neither had experienced something so true and untainted.

She fell asleep in his arms that night with him whispering loving remarks into her ear, she loved this side to him and wished he could always be like that but she knew that come Monday morning he would be back to his cold self. She would cherish moments like these, not knowing what was ahead for their relationship.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Surely you know this isn't mine by now.

The Aftermath of Explosions – Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm really enjoying writing this, hope you are all enjoying reading it too! **

The weekend had gone rather smoothly for both of them, though Hermione had been questioned (more like interrogated!) by Ron and Hermione when she had returned to the Gryffindor Tower. She was very lucky that she had thought ahead, knowing that this would happen sooner or later. She had told them, in a very composed manner, that Snape had been assisting her with some extra credit in Potions and that was all they needed. Both of them knew not to get in between Hermione and her studies, and she managed to sleep extremely well that Sunday with the knowledge that the only other person that knew of the relationship between the Head of Slytherin and the Gryffindor know-it-all was Dumbledore. Severus had not gone into any detail over what had happened when he went to see the Headmaster, but he had obviously sorted it out as they had been left alone since then.

Monday morning came around quicker than expected, and as the rays of sun made their way into the Gryffindor dormitories, it was unwelcome by everybody – even Hermione Granger, who was renowned for her love of academics. As the rays filtered into the room, she pulled her hand up to shield her face and groaned. This was the first morning in a few days where she was not greeted by her professor staring at her lovingly, and she wondered how he was feeling this morning and what he was doing. She got ready quickly, and practically ran down to the Great Hall. She needed to see him, it was crazy that even after a night she would miss him like this and she couldn't understand why she was affected so much by him but she needed to see him. To know whether he was having similar 'problems'.

As Severus sat at the High Table that morning, his thoughts were not on the conversations happening around him but they were of the girl. He had tossed and turned all night, wanting nothing more than for her to be in arms like she had been for most of the weekend. He was relieved when she came through the door, because she instantly met his eyes and kept his gaze until she sat down at the Gryffindor table, piling her plate high with food. It made him proud to know that she wasn't bothered about what others thought of her and she was happy to show an appetite unlike so many of the young girls these days. Hermione definitely did not need to worry about her figure, it was perfect. She had curved in all the right places, and his hands fit around her body perfectly. All throughout her breakfast, Hermione could feel the weight of his eyes on her so she turned to look up at the High Table and, unsurprisingly, he was staring right at her. She smiled at him and she saw a twitch of the lips in return, and she knew that this would be as close as she would get from him in such a public area where he was supposed to be feared. It would do nothing for his reputation if anyone saw him smiling in the direction of the Gryffindor table!

He did not have the pleasure of teaching the young girl today, so he would just have to suffer through the lessons without her presence. He sighed, it was going to be a long day for him. He left the Great Hall and proceeded down to the dungeons in order to prepare for his lessons. He wasn't sure if he could cope with any potential explosions today, so decided he would just have them all do assignments. He was not in the right state of mind to handle any dunderheads trying to blow themselves and the rest of the class up! First lesson was a group of first years, and none of them seemed to show any natural skill for Potions, but he could only hope that they would improve to make the next six years somewhat easy on him.

One of the hardest things he had to do as a teacher was sit and read hundreds and hundreds of worthless assignments which were not even worth the paper they were written on. Well, except Hermione's. They always stood up, and he always knew which was hers. Her handwriting was beautiful, just like her. It sloped slightly to the write, and all her joins seemed so intricate. Her words did not do her knowledge any justice, no matter how many facts she managed to fit into the allotted space on her parchment. He would never admit it during marking her work, but it was always brilliant. He added as much criticism as possible, both to keep up the façade and also to make sure she was able to improve. He wanted her to have every success in life and he wanted to give her everything she would ever want. All of the professors at Hogwarts knew how far she would go in the future, and it made him extremely proud to know that he could call her his. Her achievements went beyond the classroom, S.P.E.W being one of them. She never failed to amaze him. He was slightly scared at how much she managed to affect him, considering he had only been known as the cold, miserable git of the dungeons for the past 17 years and now just the thought of her would quicken his heart rate. _Get a grip Severus!_

That evening as Hermione sat in her room writing a Transfiguration essay, she heard a slight tap at the window. It was a school owl, and it did not look too pleased to be out in the rain. She rushed over the window and it flew into her room, perching on her wooden chair by her desk which she had just vacated. She retrieved the rolled up parchment from it's beak and it sat there with it's head cocked to one side. _Oh, a treat! s_he remembered, handing one over to the owl which was now happy enough to fly out after her appraisal in the form of food. Hermione instantly recognised the spiky handwriting, it belonged to the infamous Potions Master.

_Hermione,_

_I am sorry to disturb you at this time of night, and I know you may be otherwise occupied this evening but I was wondering if I could meet with you to discuss some matters. _

_Please come to my office at 8pm if you are willing to talk. You do not need to reply as I will be in my office regardless of whether you decide to attend._

_-SS_

She checked the time, noting it was still only 7:12. She decided to try and get her level of concentration back and complete her Transfiguration work before she would have to go and meet her professor at 8.

Packing up her quills and work and taking one last look at her room before closing the door and hurrying down to the dungeons, her mind was working in overdrive wondering what on earth he wanted to discuss. Was it about _them _or actually about schoolwork? She was never sure with him, and his note didn't give anything away. She would just have to wait and see...

She stood outside his office door and even though his wards allowed her in, she still felt rude to walk in as if it were her office so she stood there, her heart pounding waiting for the clock to strike 8 before she knocked.

**A/N: Remember to review, I appreciate them so much and love to have feedback on my writing and want to know how I can improve to please you all and I'd like to know what you all think of my story and where you think I should take it in the following chapters... **


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Surely you know this isn't mine by now.

The Aftermath of Explosions – Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay so I had written out a pretty smut-filled chapter but realised that this story is really plotless right now, so I'm going to rewrite this chapter (not sure on the length) just to throw a spanner in the works and make it a little more interesting to read...I've had a bit of writer's block too so have been reading a load of other stories for inspiration but still struggling! I hope it's okay for you all, am considering just a couple more chapters with a 'happy ending' then thinking of another idea for a story/one-shot. If you have any ideas or prompts, message me or something :)**

"Enter," she heard his baritone voice say and she turned the handle into the classroom. He did not even glance up as she entered the room, but instead he continued to mark essays. She watched him for a few minutes as he scribbled furiously on the parchment in front of him and she felt pity for the particular student who had written that – they would get it back with a hell of a lot of red ink on it, that was for sure.

After what seemed like an eternity, he looked up and met her gaze but she could not find any emotion in his eyes which could explain why he wanted her to come and see him this evening. She had come down anticipating some sort of romantic gesture from him, but it seemed that tonight he had put his barriers up and it hurt her. The little time she had spent with him had been great, and she thought he was letting her into his life. Some time during Hermione's musings, her professor had vacated his seat and was now looking down on her with sorrow in his eyes. He slowly went to grasp her hands in his, and played with her fingers tenderly, as if savouring the moment. "Hermione..." he said, though it was barely audible. She looked up to meet his eyes questioningly, she really could not understand this man at all. As an attempt for him to open up to her, she placed a light kiss on his lips. He did not allow her to get away from him, and pulling her head back to his as their lips met. The kiss was full of passion and Severus tried to get across his love for her because he was afraid of losing her now.

Minutes later, he gently pushed her away to an arm's distance and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry." He spoke these words quietly, because it hurt him to hear himself say this to this girl, no woman, that he had fallen for. She stood there in front of him confused. _What is he sorry for? _The know-it-all Gryffindor Princess did not know something for once, and maybe it was best that she didn't know.

Suddenly, he dropped his eyes and walked into his private quarters. Hermione just stared at the space he had just vacated, unsure of what to do. The realisation hit her like a ten ton brick, and she ran at the wall which blocked her from him. He had set up his wards and blocked her out. Her body slumped down on the wall, and sobs racked her body. She couldn't control her feelings any more, he had shut her out so abruptly and she just couldn't handle it. She sat in the same position all night, sometimes whispering to the wall in hope he would be able to hear her. She asked if he could at least talk to her, tell her what was going on. She wanted to know how to fix this.

As soon as Severus entered his quarters, he headed to his drinks cabinet and poured himself a hefty amount of firewhiskey. Albus had asked him to try and keep away from the alcohol but tonight he definitely needed it. He slouched into his armchair, the only light and heat in the room being emitted from the fireplace but his whole body felt numb. He kept telling himself this was the best thing to do, that he was not right for her, he was too broken and held too many secrets which she couldn't know but he found himself torn between his head and his heart.

He had fallen into a light sleep, and was awoken by the tingling of his wards. He glanced at the clock and it read 6:34am. He cursed and stood up quickly, a little too quickly as his head began to spin. His head seemed to be swimming and he was unable to clear his head because of his thoughts – thoughts of her. Severus showered quickly, feeling slightly refreshed and was glad that he had taken the shower because sleeping slouched in an armchair did nothing for his muscles. He only wondered what Hermione felt like, he suspected that she'd had an even worse night than him.

Hermione had left his rooms with tear-stained cheeks and a pounding headache. Her whole body felt stiff and cold. She had not bothered to go back to her rooms to freshen up, because even if she did she would still feel like shit. Instead, she ascended the dungeon stairs and made her way to the only place she felt at home right now – Hogwarts' Library. Madame Pince gave Hermione a slight smile as she entered the library, but did not give the girl a second thought as it was not a rare occurrence to see her at the library so early in the morning.

The daily hustle and bustle of the school surrounded her, and this brought Hermione from thoughts. She had not taken in a single word from the book she had picked up, but had mindlessly flicked through the pages every now and again to make it seem as though she had been reading. This was only so that Madame Pince did not realise something was wrong and inquire because Hermione knew that if somebody was to ask how she was, she would truly breakdown.

Severus made his way to the Great Hall, doubting he would see her there and he wasn't surprised. All of her friends were seated at the Gryffindor table, and there was an empty spot between Harry and Ginny. They had saved it for her, would they even realise anything was wrong with her? The boys at least were usually very ignorant towards others feelings, only bothered about Quidditch. Severus looked up to see her enter the Great Hall with her head held low, she hurried over to the reserved seat without once looking up to meet his gaze.

She took her place, and gave a slight smile to her friends and began to pile food onto her plate. Severus spent the whole of breakfast watching her, noticing how she did not take a single bite out of her food, but just played with it aimlessly. He noticed how she never once looked up from her food. He noticed how she sat with a slight hunch, and winced when she moved her arms. He hated seeing her like this, and began to doubt his actions from last night. He saw how she never responded to her friends jokes, and she looked extremely fidgety. He missed her, and it had been less than a day. _How on earth will I cope?_ he thought to himself before making an exit from the Great Hall.

**A/N: Once I get 8 reviews on the story (random number) I will post the next chapter, I know that's naughty of me but I really want to know what you all think!**

**So, erm, I hope you like this a little better with a twist. I know it's a bit random and thrown in there but I can't be bothered to re-write the other chapters (lazy, I know!) but will just continue how I'm writing now. It may be a bit shorter than the others, but hopefully I will be able to make up for it because it's finally Christmas holidays and even though I have a lot of revision to be doing, I can write more without the added pressure of school and lack of sleep getting to me! Another few chapters should be up this week, let me know what you think and what should happen! **

**REVIEW! **


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Surely you know this isn't mine by now.

The Aftermath of Explosions – Chapter 7

**A/N: Not much to write up here this time, except a thank you for all who have reviewed or added this story to their alerts – it makes me really happy to know that you guys like what I write. I also hope this chapter will live up to standards, I'm trying to make my writing better and longer for you all.**

Although Hermione had not seen Severus leave the Great Hall, somehow she had felt his exit. She didn't understand these feelings, and right now she didn't really have the urge to understand them but all she knew was that they existed. She wished they didn't. She had feelings for a man who had blocked her out without any valid reason, and he would not even speak to her now.

"Hermione, are you coming?" asked Ron, snapping her out of her daze. It took her a few moments to register what he was talking about, _double Potions. _She swore that somebody out there must have it out for her. Better get it over and done with now, and with that thought she rose from the table and winced slightly as her body began to adjust to it's new position. Numerous thoughts were racing through her head as she descended the dungeon stairs with her two friends. They were mindlessly chatting away about Chudley Cannons latest signing, and did not notice anything different about their friend. They would only notice if she was not to help them during lessons or with assignments.

Hermione's breathing started to speed up slightly as they got closer and closer to the dungeon's and her heartbeat followed suit. Little did she know that Severus seemed to be suffering the same fate, he could not control his thoughts and still had not decided how he was going to deal with her yet.

Throughout the lesson Severus had tried to catch her gaze but she kept her head down as she fervently worked away at her potion. She never even attempted to help Longbottom once, to say he was shocked was an understatement. He usually managed to take 10 or more points from Gryffindor each lesson because of her assistance (regretfully, of course) but he had no such luck this particular day. Instead, he just had to take them from the failure that was Neville Longbottom for his catastrophic attempt at a potion.

As the lesson neared to an end, he realised that something would have to be done in order for him to have a chance to speak to her, even if it was only for a short amount of time. He needed to tell her what he was unable to tell her last night. As she was in the last stages of her potion, he went and stood between her and Neville (they shared a work station) and turned his body at an angle where it would appear he was focusing solely on Neville but in actual fact he was wanting to pull the young woman that was next to him into his arms and never let her go. But that was not being realistic. Instead, he revelled in her presence and brushed his hand past hers as he walked past her towards his desk. He swore he heard her gasp slightly, as if shocked by the contact. He smirked, knowing he did have an effect on her. It also made him wary because if he chose his head over his heart it would crush her, which would in turn crush him.

Hermione walking slowly up to his desk with her completed potion and he observed her as she walked – beautiful, even when she looked exhausted and stressed. He silently urged her to lift her eyes to his, and his wish was granted. Her whole demeanour seemed to relax as she looked into his eyes, even if it was only for the briefest of moments. It was enough for her to know that last night he had not intended to hurt her – somehow Severus had a knack for being able to convey his thoughts/feelings through his eyes (and also a knack for barricading his eyes so they could not convey any thoughts/feelings).

"Miss Granger, if you may stay behind once class is finished – I need to discuss the latest assignment with you." Hermione's head shot up from where she was busy clearing away and for a moment she seemed furious with him but suddenly realised she was being a bit childish (after a raised eyebrow from Severus) and that it was definitely NOT to discuss the latest assignment. At this revelation, her heart began to beat quicker and she got a bit restless. Numerous 'what if?' questions began to whirl around in her mind, making her a little light-headed. She gripped the edge of her table in order to prevent herself from toppling over and tried to calm herself down. She really did over-react at times.

It had reached the end of the lesson and as the rest of the class filed out, Ron and Harry turned to Hermione and said "We'll wait outside for you and head up to the common room together, 'kay?"

She looked towards Severus as if for approval, and he shook his head. The two boys did not see this movement from their Potions professor, but heard Hermione's dismissal telling them she would need to go to the Library after in case she needed to make any corrections. They did not protest, knowing what Hermione was like when it came to her work. As soon as the classroom door was shut, she saw Severus put a silencing charm around the room and lock the door. _God what is going to happen? _Both were feeling rather awkward after what had happened last night and neither spoke for a few minutes until Severus broke the silence, "Miss Granger."

"Severus, for fuck's sake if we are going to have a conversation about what I think we are, then call me by my bloody given name!" she all but screamed at him, he looked quite taken aback at her small outbreak but composed himself quickly before walking to the front of his desk and leaning against it.

"I'm sorry, I just got...I felt a bit out of my depth last night but I shouldn't have left you like that. I felt you leave very early this morning...why?"

"Why what?" she muttered.

"Why did you stay?" he questioned, his eyes moving to meet hers.

"Because I wanted to. Because I thought you would come back and tell me you were sorry and take me in your arms and tell me everything would be okay!" she said quietly, her body shaking slightly as tears began to prickle her eyes. She needed to control herself, she didn't want to become hysterical in front of him.

Severus slowly walked towards her, not moving his eyes from his and he wrapped his arms around her body in a gentle but comforting hug. She began to relax into his touch and wrapped her hands around his neck. For both of them it felt too right for it to be wrong. "But I didn't..." he said, feeling extremely guilty now he knew why she had waited.

"It doesn't matter now Severus," she said, placing a soft kiss upon his lifts and drawing back to view his reaction. He gave her a true smile, and it set her soul on fire. He had an amazing smile, and she wished she could see it more often. In response to his smile, she smiled back and giggled slightly. Severus kissed her on her forehead and just savoured the moment.

"You better head off to find your dunderhead friends, they may think I have kidnapped you or something," he spoke gently to her, really wishing he didn't have to send her away so soon. She felt the same, not wanting to leave his company but at the same time not wanting her friends to think anything was up. Hermione collected up her thinks, threw her satchel over her shoulder and headed towards the door, and just as she was about to shut the door she heard him speak. "And your last assignment was of decent quality, Hermione," he said her name with such tenderness, as if he didn't believe he deserved to be able to say her name. He didn't want to taint it with the deeds he had done in his past, she was pure and innocent. And as far as he was concerned, she was his. At that comment smile spread across her face. That was as close as she would get to a compliment from him right now, and she was elated.

After she left the room, Severus sighed. _So much for head over heart, _he thought.

**A/N: I got the reviews, thanks to everyone. Would it be too much to ask to get some reviews before I post up the next chapter (I will try and make it even longer though especially for you all!) the reviews don't even need to be long, a couple of words/lines telling me what you thought of the chapter! I might be nice though and just post it anyway, but still review! I will probably get chapter 8 written before Christmas too! Take care. **


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Surely you know this isn't mine by now.

The Aftermath of Explosions – Chapter 8

**A/N: I've got more spare time on my hands thanks to the Christmas holidays (but still have revision to do) so will hopefully get a few more chapters out between now and the beginning of January. I'm really enjoying writing this and hope you are enjoying reading this! Thanks for all the reviews too, they make me so happy xD**

By the time Hermione was due to go to dinner with her friends, her mind was spinning. She felt like she was being shoved from pillar to post when it came to Severus and his feelings. One minute he pushes her away but the next he is holding her in his arms apologising. She needed to know where she stood, and this is whether her Gryffindor courage came in. She threw a pair of skinny jeans and a lumberjack shirt on before putting her school robes over the top and heading down to dinner.

Severus sat in the Great Hall listening to the conversations of his colleagues as he had nothing better to do. He was watching the door with one eye, hoping she would turn up. "Severus?" asked Minerva, obviously realising the Potions Professor was rather restless.

"Hmmm?"

"We all know how you like to torture students, but please don't do anything at dinner. That's just cruel."

"What are you on about Minerva?" he growled, wanting nothing more than to be left alone. She just tutted and turned to strike up a conversation with the Headmaster. He heard her laugh as she entered the hall, she was walking with those two dunderheads that she liked to call friends. He felt a pang of jealousy at seeing the two boys make her laugh because they did not deserve to be in her presence. They did not realise how beautiful, brilliant, intellectual and truly amazing that girl was. _Jeez, old age must be making you sentimental, _his mind retorted. She glanced up to meet his gaze, and gave a slight smile before turning away and taking her seat at the Gryffindor table with her back to him. She still held a slight hunch, although she had pretty much become her usual bubbly self again. Severus would not have her in pain, and had a plan. Little did he know, his young Gryffindor also had a plan.

Later that evening while Hermione was lying on her bed engrossed in a new book she had just checked out of the library, she heard a faint tapping at her window. She sighed as she saw it was an owl, a very persistent one and went to let it in. The owl flew straight in and perched on her chair, looking rather grumpy. She went to retrieve the note but the owl pecked her hand, "Ow what the hell was that for?" she exclaimed, _as if the owl could reply..._ she mentally rolled her eyes. She practically turned her room upside down in the search for something to feed the owl, finally finding a stray piece of cat food. _It surely has to accept this! _and to her surprise it did. After it had been fed it flew straight out the window into the cold night air once again. She didn't even know who the note was off, let alone what it could contain.

She looked at the note, and all it said was:

_I O U a..._

_Relaxing massage_

It was from Severus, that much she knew. Hermione was so used to seeing his words with more of an insulting tone on her assignments, not offering a relaxing massage. She laughed at this, it was so cheesy and so...muggle but she didn't care and immediately hot footed it down to the dungeons where a particular Potions Professor was fretting over his actions.

"For fuck's sake Severus you're so stupid. You're just going to scare her away now," he was telling himself. He was glad for a silencing charm around the classroom, otherwise if anyone had come in search of him that evening they would think he was crazy. _And they'd probably be right, _he thought.

He was interrupted by a gentle knock at the door, and in response he permitted entrance. He hoped it would be Hermione, and it was. She looked nervous and slightly wary of her surroundings, like a deer caught in the headlights. "Umm...hey," she said, not looking into his eyes.

Severus was pretty positive that last time they had seen each other he had apologised for his actions and had let her know how he felt about her (even if he hadn't exactly said it in words), so was gradually becoming worried by how she was behaving. _It was all because of that damn note, _he thought, cursing his stupid actions. _I never was any good when it came to love...WHOA! Love? I mean she is amazing in every single way but...love? _He stopped his thoughts from running wild as he looked up to see Hermione looking at him in a perplexed manner as if to say 'Well then?' so with that, he walked over to her and placed a soft kiss on her lips and snatched her up into his arms. She let out a high pitched squeal before nestling into the crook of his neck, savouring being this close to him. From her position, she was able to hear the steadily rising beat of his heart and his breath on her skin made her tingle.

They had sat together in a comfortable silence for quite a while before Hermione decided now was her chance, "So, what happened to getting a relaxing massage?"

Severus laughed, a deep, hearty, rich laugh which gave Hermione shivers. "I was hoping you would forget about that, but if we must..."

"We must," she replied, trying her best to suppress a cheeky grin before kissing him and heading to his bedroom. He followed after her, she didn't know that he had never in his life given a massage so this would be absolutely hopeless. As he walked in, he saw her lying face down on his bed and she had removed her top and looked up at his entrance. She flushed a deep shade of red before saying, " Seriously, this happens when you get a massage!"

"Are you sure? It's not just your attempt to seduce me?" he said with a smirk playing on his face.

"You will never know," she replied before pulling his face to meet hers in a fiery kiss.

Throughout the massage Severus would ask her whether he was doing it properly and how he could make her feel better but he really didn't understand what his touch did to her – it turned her to jelly, she melted into his touch and even though it was his first massage, she still felt the tension leave her muscles and she almost fell asleep right there and she would have happily fallen asleep in his bed surrounded by his smell if it weren't for him leaning down every now and again whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

It had gotten long into the night and after Severus had given Hermione a massage, she had insisted she return the favour because 'it wouldn't be fair' if she couldn't give him one too. _She's definitely a Gryffindor, _he thought. Severus was rather dubious about letting her give him a massage, knowing that if he did then it would make him very vulnerable and prove that he trusted her but he gave in to his heart (once again) and let her work her magic. Once she had finished, they ended up cuddling in bed. Neither cared for the future, only focusing on the present and not wanting the evening to end.

Hermione still didn't understand this man – he seemed to have so many different personalities it was hard to keep track of but she was sure of one thing; she was falling, and falling fast.

**A/N: I actually quite enjoyed writing this chapter though I didn't go into detail with the massage thing (well I've never had/given a massage either so I'm as clueless as Severus) so I've left it to your imaginations – aren't I lovely? ^_^ anyway, review please! Let me know what you want to happen next, I'll possibly get another one written (maybe not posted up though) before Christmas but if not, have a lovely Christmas everybody!**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Surely you know this isn't mine by now.

The Aftermath of Explosions – Chapter 9

**A/N: Enjoy! This may be my last chapter before New Year.**

As Hermione lay in bed that evening, she looked back on the events of the past few hours. Somehow, she could not get it into her brain that she had just received the best massage ever from one of her professors. Admittedly, they had surely crossed the line already when it came to student-teacher relationships but seeing him in his 'professor persona' was baffling when she knew how gentle and caring he could be behind closed doors. Her friends would be extremely shocked at what was going on considering they all thought he was just the greasy git of the dungeons with no life whatsoever outside of the classroom.

Little did she know that Severus was struggling to come to terms with what he had done too. She had been so caring and gentle with him, and he could not understand where she had changed her views of him, _unless she never hated me in the first place._ He scoffed at this, of course she would've hated him considering she was part of the Golden Trio. He felt something for Hermione that he had not felt in years, and this made him think back to Lily. She was his only friend through his years at Hogwarts, _well until I called her a mudblood_, he thought. As his life had worn on, he had become more and more secluded believe there was nobody out there for him but this young woman had waltzed her way into his life and made him realise that although some people may die along the way, life will carry on. He found himself thinking that she had shown him the light in life, _how soppy Severus. _

SSHG

As the Sun rose over the mountains surrounding Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hermione moaned. She hadn't had a fantastic night sleep, and for the most part had lay on her bed staring up into the darkness thinking. Sometimes she would begin to doze off, only for another train of thought to crop up and make her think further. She cast a few glamours to hide the visible effects of getting little sleep after dressing and headed down to the Gryffindor common room to wait for the two boys to arrive and head down to breakfast with her. It was sort of like a routine for them most morning, they would greet each other in the common room and traipse down to the Great Hall for the start of another day of learning.

"Hey 'Mione where were you last night?" asked Ron, before shoving food down his throat.

"Oh um detention," she replied, hoping they would leave it at that.

"Who the hell would give you a detention?" he retorted, as he and Harry sat with their mouths wide open in response to hearing Hermione had a detention.

"Just Snape."

"Snape?" they exclaimed, catching the attention of the man in particular. He raised an eyebrow and continued to watch their conversation. "What did you do?" Harry requested, with a puzzled look on his face. He couldn't believe Snape had given Hermione a detention, sure he doesn't like her but she's one of the best pupils to attend the school!

"You know when he asked to speak about my assignment? Well he made me re-do it in detention since apparently it was an insult to his intelligence if I had expected him to read it."

"Oh." As soon as it got onto the subject of education, Ron and Harry always got incredibly bored and would try and change the topic over to Quidditch.

Snape had been watching the exchange between the friends intently, trying his best to decipher what it was Hermione was telling him. From the way the two dunderheads had said his name, he presumed she had told them he had given her detention. He almost chuckled aloud when he saw their faces turn from shock to boredom in the space of a few moments, it was clear that as soon as Hermione spoke about work they got bored. _So much for good friends, _he thought. For him to be able to be friends (_or more, _he thought while thinking of Hermione) with somebody there would have to be some sort of mutual interest yet it seemed Hermione was the total opposite to the two boys sat across from her.

SSHG

Hermione traipsed down to the dungeon's alone for her final lesson of the day, Potions. She had only had a few lessons with Ron and Harry during the day, and after lunch she had a free period which she had spent in the library working on the latest Transfiguration assignment. Work always helped her when she had so much to think about it because when she was focused on doing work it meant her mind could not trail off to thinking of other things – these things mainly involving a certain someone called Severus Snape...

Reaching the door to the Potions classroom, she composed herself because ever since she'd become 'involved' with him, she could hardly control her feelings. Hermione took a deep breath and entered the classroom, noticing that there were only a handful of students in the classroom currently and Snape was nowhere to be seen. _Strange_, she thought. It was unheard of for him to be late for lessons since he demanded such precise timings from his students. As her fellow classmates piled into the classroom taking their seats, there was still no sign of him. By now, there was a lot of speculation going on between the students as to where he could be, they were also slightly baffled at the missing presence.

"Hey Herms, where do you think he is?" whispered Ron, as if when Snape turned up, _if he turned up, _he would immediately know if anyone had spoken while he had not been there.

"Why the hell would I know?" she retorted, getting fed up of all the stupid questions Ron would ask her. This sudden change in attitude from Hermione made Ron visibly shrink away from her, seemingly hurt by her words and he turned to talk with Harry, leaving Hermione to stare at the board and wait his arrival.

SSHG

About 5 minutes after the lesson had been due to start, they heard a clicking of shoes echoing down the dungeon corridor and these were definitely not Snape's shoes. Some confused looks were passed between some of the students, before the door was pushed open in a much less demanding way than Snape would have done to reveal the Head of Gryffindor. Several Slytherin's groaned audibly, which earned a raised eyebrow from Professor McGonagall.

"Now then, Professor Snape could not be here to teach today's lesson so I expect you all to turn to the last page you had been working on with him and take notes on the next two chapters. If you do not complete this within the lesson, it shall be completed for next lesson. Is that clear?"

Everybody began to pull out their parchment and their Potions textbook and as this took place Hermione chanced a glance towards her Head of House, and in return she saw a sadness in her eyes._ What the...?_ She was silently confused, and allowed her thoughts to run rampage as she powered through the set work. _Where was he? What does Professor McGonagall know? Why did she look at me like that? What has happened to him?_

The lesson ended soon enough for Hermione, and as she hurriedly packed her belongings into her bag she heard her professor requesting her to stay behind.

**A/N: Ooooh cliffhanger! I wrote this in quite a rush as it's New Year's Eve now but I had set a deadline for myself to get this out to you all although it is slightly shorter than others – my apologies! Have a great New Year, however you are celebrating it and I shall hopefully get another chapter up before I go back to school. Any ideas what has happened to Severus?**

**Hit review and let me know!**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Surely you know this isn't mine by now.

The Aftermath of Explosions – Chapter 10

**A/N: Enjoy! A new school term starts on the 4th for me and I have 3 exams this month as well as some other assessments so I am not sure how my writing will be able to fit around these but I won't be abandoning this story! I may reconsider how I spend some of my spare time this month if I was to get enough reviews...**

"Miss Granger, the Headmaster has requested your presence immediately. The password is 'Cadbury'" said Professor McGonagall in a stern voice, not once letting emotion enter her vocal chords. Hermione could not muster a response, but nodded as she acknowledged her professor's words and she headed towards the Headmaster's office.

As she was granted access to the Headmaster's office after speaking the password which seemed to show that the Headmaster had a fond liking for muggle chocolate, if this was not the case he certainly wouldn't have set one of the most famous chocolate companies in Britain as his password, her mind was whirring; If it was made of cogs and screws (which it most certainly was not!) you would see them working like crazy.

She had not visited the Headmaster's office often during her years at Hogwarts, and the times she had been there previously had not been significant and she rarely took the time to take in her surroundings but upon entering the office this time, she gazed around in awe, drinking in her surroundings before being pulled back down from her observations by a rather amused Dumbledore. "Lemon drop, Miss Granger?"

"Um, no thank you professor," she replied, standing in his office fidgeting with her fingers.

"Miss Granger, you do not need to ask to take a seat, please," he directed her to a seat opposite his desk and as she headed towards her seat he took his own position opposite her, regarding her with a slight twinkle to his eye. This unnerved her slightly, as she still did not know the reasoning behind her visit here. Well, she did know that it must have something to do with Professor Snape as McGonagall had covered his lesson and asked her to see the Headmaster after Potions, surely if it wasn't to do with Snape then she could've been called out of any of her other lessons during the day...

She felt rather awkward sitting here, urging the Headmaster to start speaking soon and as if he could read her thoughts (_though he is probably a Legilimens, _she thought) he began.

"I am sure you are wondering why you are here?" at this point, Hermione nodded and allowed the professor to continue speaking. "Professor Snape has asked me to relay a message to you: he is okay, but is in need of your assistance. I tried to ask him what he needed your assistance for, and why he was asking for you specifically but he would not give up what he knows. He is rather ill and suffering the consequences of being in Riddle's company," Hermione looked rather shocked at this, she knew he attended meetings but had never heard of him being so badly injured that he was unable to teach. If the Headmaster had noticed her shock, he did not dwell upon it. He was aware of the shared link between student and teacher, but that would be for another time.

"Did he say when he needed to see me?" she asked, it was obvious Dumbledore had been waiting for a reply from her.

"I think it would be best if you were to excuse yourself from dinner this evening and spend it in his quarters, I will let him know of your arrival," said the Headmaster, still retaining the twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Okay, thank you Headmaster," Hermione replied, glad that nothing drastic had occurred during the meeting, _well except being told that the man you lov – have feelings for – has been so badly injured at the hands of Voldemort that he can not teach, _she thought rather sarcastically.

As she was exiting the office, she stopped at the sound of the Headmaster's voice. "Oh and Hermione, he likes you." and she stepped out of the room, hearing his chuckle emanating from the office as she descended the curved staircase. She didn't know what to think of this comment, _did he know about them? Well obviously you stupid girl or he wouldn't have said anything like that, _her mind retorted. She decided to tell Severus of this weird comment, and see what he had to make of it. It would be nice to know where she stood with him, for once...

SSHG

The majority of Gryffindor had now descended to the Great Hall for dinner, so Hermione grabbed her robe and put it on before exiting the common room and heading towards Severus' quarters. She had spent the previous two hours completing homework and trying to keep her mind off Severus and what would await her in the dungeons. She didn't know if she would be able to handle seeing him in an injured state, but she would try her best to be strong. After all, she was a Gryffindor and she was supposed to be brave and courageous. She would let her inner lioness show and prove to Severus that she was worth his time, trust and love.

During her thoughts, she did not notice the strange looks she received from a few late stragglers on their way to dinner from the Slytherin common room as she descended the steps into the cold dungeons. The temperature change always hit her like a ton of bricks, it was amazing how within a few steps you could turn to a block of ice. The castle was not warm for the most part, but it was all bearable except the dungeons. She didn't see why Severus had his quarters down there because she was positive he would've been offered them wherever he would've liked in the castle. _It may just be so he could be closer to his snakes, _she thought, everybody knew how protective and in favour of his own House he was, _or maybe just his Potion's store,_ since he sometimes ended up in his private workroom during the night if he was unable to sleep. He was certainly a difficult man to understand, Hermione knew that.

Reaching the tapestry which hid the entrance to his quarters, she prepared herself for what she was about to encounter. "Professor?" she said while knocking three times on the door which had appeared behind the tapestry. She preferred to knock rather than just taking down his wards, because although they were somewhat...involved, she still wanted to give him the privacy he deserved and didn't want to go barging in on anything important.

She heard a rather muffled and somewhat pained 'Enter' come from the other side of the door and felt his wards lower, permitting her entrance.

Her eyes widened as she saw her professor lying on his sofa semi-naked, propped up by his elbow reading a book. She roamed his body, noting the scars that littered his flesh – both older scars and ones which were visibly 'newer'. Though this would repulse many people, she didn't mind. Everybody had scars, whether they were visible or not and these scars didn't make him less attractive to her.

He raised an eyebrow at her and let out a chuckle as he saw her observing his body. Her face didn't show any disgust, he noted. "Well aren't you going to come in?" he asked, pulling her out of her daze.

"Wha? Oh, yes sorry," she replied, as a familiar shade of red crept into her cheeks. He shifted up slightly on the sofa and changed to a sitting position so that there was space for her, and patted the now vacant space on the sofa. She took the seat before looking at him and letting out a sigh. "I thought you would be worse than this, considering you didn't come to lessons today. McGonagall covered and made us take notes, I was really worried! Then she told me to stay behind and sent me to see Dumbledore and that's when I knew I had to come and see you as you needed my 'assistance'. And when I was leaving he said to me 'Oh and Hermione, he likes you.' I mean what the fuck Severus, WHAT THE FUCK?" This all come out in such a rush that Severus had to concentrate on what she was saying, then out of all the things he could do, he laughed. "What's so funny?" she practically screamed at him.

"You had a lot on your mind, huh?" he asked in a soft tone. She nodded in response, slightly out of breath from her little outburst. He beckoned her towards him and pulled her into a comforting hug, glad she was unable to see him wince slightly in pain at her arms squeezing his waist. _She doesn't need to know, _he thought. He really didn't want her involved in things that she didn't need to be involved in, he wanted her to stay young and innocent without having to worry about him.

"Mmhmmm," her reply muffled slightly as she spoke into his chest.

He whispered soothing words to her as he stroked one hand down her back, holding her tight with the other. These were the kind of moments he would savour.

"So what exactly did the old coot tell you then?" he asked after a while, that was the one thing that stuck in his mind from her outburst earlier.

"That you liked me. He told me right before I was about to walk through the door. How does he know?"

"I don't know Hermione, Dumbledore knows a lot of things just through observation. It obviously doesn't bother him a great deal because if it did...I probably wouldn't have a job anymore," he replied before placing a soft kiss on her nose, at which point she scrunched up her nose and playfully punched his arm. He winced at this, making Hermione fret over him.

"Oh god Severus, shit I totally forgot, shit!"

"Relax Hermione, I'm fine," he told her, getting rather agitated as she began acting like the one and only Molly Weasley.

"Well obviously not if you actually showed pain around me!" she replied, waving her arm frantically towards where she had punched him.

"Oh and am I not allowed to lower my walls around you now either?" he said, keeping his voice low and void of emotion. He knew that if he lost his temper with her, he would hugely regret it.

"Well, you are it's just I've never seen you in pain, okay? Am I not allowed to react when the person I love is in pain?" she screamed back at him, glad for the silencing charms placed on his quarters. _Shit I just said I loved him! _

"Repeat that," he said, his voice seemed shaky again.

"Am I not allowed to react when the person I...have feelings for is in pain?" she said, trying to cover up her tracks.

"No, that is NOT what you said!"

"Okay so I love you, is there something wrong with that?" she said, Severus could see the anger building inside her. He cursed himself for getting involved with a Gryffindor, they weren't the best when it came to controlling their emotions...

"Yes."

"Oh and what's that?" she questioned with a sarcastic undertone.

"You don't know what I've done," he said quietly.

"I don't CARE about your past. You are a different person to what you were when you were younger, you've changed."

"I don't change," he replied.

"Yes. You. Do. When you're around me, you change."

He had no response to that because it was all true and he couldn't handle emotional arguments like this so he did the worst thing he could've done at that moment. He demanded she leave his quarters. She looked like her heart had shattered right there in front of him, and gave him a look of longing before turning on her heel and rushing out of his quarters, back up to her rooms before breaking down as she lay on her bed. Sobs began to rack her body, they seemed to be never-ending. _Why can't he just accept how I feel? _she thought to herself.

That night Hermione cried herself to sleep, and Severus didn't sleep at all. He walked endlessly around the corridors of Hogwarts, deducting points was his way of getting his anger out. He had been rather harsh that night, even taking 25 points from his own House in the process but it got some of the anger out of his system though he knew the only way to resolve how he was feeling was to speak with Hermione again but he felt it would have to wait for now, they both needed time to get a grasp on the situation...

**A/N: Longer than I intended, hope it tides you over to when I am next able to write – tell me what you think should happen! Hit review, remember what I said about getting more reviews? They may persuade me to write another chapter earlier than I have in mind!**


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